Fallston Recreation Council

Bylaws

Fallston Soccer Council Constitution and By-Laws

May 22, 2013 – Revision 7

ARTICLE I NAME

This body shall be known as the Fallston Soccer Council, hereafter referred to as the "Council", and shall be affiliated with the Fallston Recreation Council hereafter referred to as FRC. Council – is made up of The “Executive Board”, “Commissioners”, “In-House Commissioners” and “General Council members”. Soccer Board – is made up of The “Executive Board”, “Commissioners and “In-House Commissioners”.

ARTICLE II PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization shall be to promote, develop, and govern the game of boys soccer as a program within the Fallston Recreation Council, and to promote goodwill, sportsmanship, and fitness through soccer. Policies will be consistent with those of the Fallston Recreation Council.

ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

Membership will include the Soccer Board, and any member of the community willing to support the Fallston Soccer

Program and regularly attend Council meetings.

ARTICLE IV SOCCER BOARD

The Soccer Board shall plan, develop, approve, and execute the boys soccer program within the Fallston Recreation Council (FRC). The Soccer Board shall consist of the persons in the following offices (The Council consists of the following offices plus the General Council Members):

Executive Board: Chairperson

Travel Commissioner

Secretary

Treasurer

Commissioners:

Fields

Equipment

Fallston Cup

In-House Commissioners: Clinic

Under 8

Under 10

NRSL – U11 and above

ARTICLE V EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall be the administrative body of the Council. The Executive Board shall consist of one Chairperson, the Travel Commissioner, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. All Executive decisions must be unanimous among the Executive board. Whereas, no one individual has more voting rights than another – all are equal.

ARTICLE VI MEETINGS

The Council shall hold open meetings for all program participants and/or interested persons.

ARTICLE VII RULES OF ORDER

All meetings of this Council shall be conducted in accordance with "Roberts Rules of Order", except as noted herein.

ARTICLE VIII ELECTIONS

The officers of the Soccer Board shall be filled by general elections at the Annual Meeting. The annual meeting date and time is to be set by the Chairperson, with the goal of this happening in January.

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS

1. Amendments to this Constitution or By-Laws shall be presented in writing to the Executive Board for review at least one general meeting before the general membership vote on the amendment takes place. Presented by a member of the “General Council Member” or above (see Secton II. below for General Council Member definition).

2. The next meeting after the amendment has been proposed, the Executive Board will present it to the Soccer

Council. The vote will be taken at that general membership meeting.

3. The motion to amend must pass by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the general Soccer Council membership. A

quorum is defined as 50% or more, to the total eligible voting membership of the Soccer Council.

4. Eligible voting membership is defined as a member of the Fallston Soccer Council that has attended at least 3 meetings in the past 12 month period.

5. Proxy voting is limited to eligible voting members who have attended the prior general meeting. A proxy vote must be signed and delivered to the general meeting in a sealed envelope. All proxy votes will be collected by the Secretary and will be opened after the in-attendance votes are cast.

6. Upon passage an amendment shall be immediately active, valid and added to the Consitution or By-laws.

By-Laws

I. PURPOSE

This organization will establish guidelines for all play within the Fallston Boys Soccer Program, including in-house, travel (fall and spring), and indoor.

II SOCCER BOARD OFFICES, COUNCIL MEMBERS & RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Executive Board

1. The Executive Board, on behalf of the general membership, shall transact the business of the Council and establish committees as required.

2. The Chairperson selected by majority vote of the Executive Board shall preside at all general meetings, or designate an alternate Executive Board member to act in their absence. Any replacement (fill-in) Chairperson can only vote as per their normal Council position (cannot vote on Executive Board votes unless already a member of the Executive Board and etc.), they are only acting as meeting facilitator.

3 The Executive Board shall act on behalf of the Council regarding protests, general arbitration and Fallston Recreation Council liaisons. The Executive Board shall report on any actions undertaken at the next general meeting.

B. Soccer Board Offices, Council Members and Responsibilities.

Chairperson serve on the Executive Board, set meetings and chair the general meetings.

Travel Commissioner serve on the Executive Board, oversee Travel registration, team selection procedures/try-outs, assists in team/league scheduling, team budgeting, and propose coach selection to the Executive Board. Council and team liaison for leagues, other Recs and tournaments. Liaison between the travel teams and the Council.

Secretary shall serve on the Executive Board, and keep and maintain the minutes of all general and special meetings, and direct all correspondence emanating from this body. The Secretary shall be responsible for notification to the Council of the general meetings. Coordinate all registration of partcipants in the Fallston Soccer program and maintain records of all registrants. Handle communication between the Council and the families/registrants.

Treasurer shall serve on the Executive Board, and keep and maintain all financial records of the Soccer Council. He/she shall direct the development and submission of the annual budget to the Fallston Recreation Council. The Treasurer shall be utilized as much as possible as the primary expenditure authority for the Soccer Council. Responsible for purchase recommendations to the Council and maintaining records, pricing, costs and quantities for all Council equipment

Fields responsible for field preparation, and determines field playability.

Equipment responsible for equipment preparation and inventory, shall be responsible for the acquisition, distribution, maintaining and collection of all soccer equipment.

Fallston Cup coordinate the planning, maintain tournament rules, team registration, and playing of the Fallston Cup Soccer Tournament.

In-House Commissioners oversee team and coach selection, assist in schedules and rescheduling, field use notification, assist special rule development, equipment interface, arbitration of disputes, and police coach and player conduct. Coordinate player ratings, establish even and balanced teams. Communicate with their respective families/players. Liaison between their league and the Council.

General Council Members any attendee of at least 3 general meetings in a year who is then able to vote in

Council elections and other votes.

III. MEMBERSHIP - ELECTION OF THE SOCCER BOARD

A. Voting Members - Only members of the Council shall elect the Soccer Board.

B. Nomination of the Board Members:

1. Nominations are accepted by the Executive Board following the Fallston Cup up to the first meeting of the year - January/February Annual Meeting, as set by the Chairperson (the first meeting of the year is the Annual Meeting).

2. Nominations are presented to the Council verbally or to the Executive Board in writing anytime prior to the call to order of the Annual Meeting where voting will take place.

3. The nominations are presented at the Annual Meeting following the meeting being called to order which ends all nominations.

4. All nominees must give prior consent for having their names placed on the ballot either verbally in person or in writing to the Executive Board.

C. Election Procedures

1. The offices of the Board shall be voted on individually, the Chairperson sets the order of the ballot or nominees. The new officer shall be the nominee receiving the highest number of votes cast for the particular office. Any ties to be decided by a vote of the Executive Board.

2. Voting can be by show of hands or if requested by any one nominee, shall be by secret ballot

3. Each voting member of the Council present shall have one vote. There shall be a provision for voting by absentee (proxy) ballot, subject to the eligibility voting rules.

4. The counting of the ballots shall be done by the Secretary at the Annual Meeting.

5. The results of the elections shall be given immediately following the voting and recorded by the Secretary.

IV. MEETINGS

A. General Meetings - The Council will hold regular meetings at least monthly (during season and bi-monthly out of season). Meetings will usually be held on a regular/set day and time of the month, as set by the Chairperson. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Board, Council or the Chairperson, with notification of the meeting to be disseminated via mail or phone chain.

B. Annual Meeting - The general meeting, which is the first meeting of the year in Jan/Feb, shall be designated the

Annual Meeting.

V. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES AND EXECUTION A. Budget

1. Development - The development of the total Council budget is the responsibility of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall solicit input to the budget development from the Soccer Board officers for all likely sources of income and expenses.

2. Expenditure Authority - Payments made on behalf of the Council through the Fallston Recreation Council

(FRC) will be authorized by the Treasurer and another member of the Executive Board.

3. Expenditure Procedure - Any Council member incurring a legitimate program expense shall contact the Treasurer to authorize the payment by the Fallston Recreation Council (FRC). All bills, payments, and requests for payment shall be directed to the Treasurer.

B. In-House

1. Registration - The registration for the soccer program shall be open and advertised, and performed in accordance with the By-laws of the Fallston Recreation Council.

2. Team Selection - In-house teams shall be established and balanced by the Age Group Commissioner and the head coaches of the age group. Teams shall be matched with coaches by a blind selection following the roster balancing. Requests for players, coaches or etc shall not be honored other than special circumstances approved by at least two Executive Board members (Clinic is excluded and requests for placement will be honored to best or program’s ability).

2. Scheduling - The scheduling of in-house games shall be performed by the commissioner of each in-house age bracket. The schedule developed by the commissioners shall be submitted to the Fallston Recreation Council's Community Director.

4. League Format - The in-house league formats (period lengths, special rules, tie breaker information, etc..) shall be developed and finalized by the Commissioners and the Age Group Commissioners. Any changes or additions to previously existing rules or formats shall be submitted to the Executive Board, who shall approve or disapprove the submission. Commissioners must ensure proper communication is provided to families explaining and showing the league format and schedule.

C. Travel Program

1. Philosophy - The purpose of the Fallston Soccer Travel Program is to further develop the most advanced player, by having them compete against higher levels of competition from other areas, in an atmosphere that is both enjoyable and conducive to learning the game of soccer.

2. Travel Season - The travel season begins with tryouts for the Fall season, normally held in May/June of each year, and ends with the conclusion of the Spring season. The Indoor season is considered part of the travel season, and comes under the auspices of the travel program.

3. Travel Teams - Travel teams shall be established, corresponding to the travel league age groups, and include teams in the under 8 through under 14 age groups. Recommended team sizes are as follows, but may be subject to specific league roster requirements:

8v8 - 8 players on the field ----12 - 14 players on the roster.

11v11 - 11 players on the field ----14 - 16 players on the roster.

Team members must be current participants in the Fallston Recreation's soccer program. Travel team members may be selected in the following geographic manner. A Teams may have up to 50% of their roster be players from outside of the Fallston Rec (Fallston High School) district. B teams may have up to 25% of their roster of out of area players. If there is only one team at an age group, that team must be 75% players from the Fallston Rec district. This rule is waived when a team needs to fill its roster in order to have an appropriate number of players and there have been no cuts. Any and all exceptions to this rule must pass through the Travel Commissioner and the Soccer Board.

Taking into consideration the travel philosophy, it is not always possible to give each team member an equal amount of playing time. Each team member shall participate to the fullest extent possible, and must participate in approximately 25% of each game they are present and eligible to play.

3a. If an in-house optional team in its U14 playing year/season has a team member or members that was not previously a member of the Fallston Recreation Program, they will be allowed to opt out of the in-house program as long as the following restrictions are met,

1) The in-house age group was able to field the 4 minimum teams

2) There are no more than 4 such eligible players

3) The players coming in do not displace any veteran players from previous seasons.

If the in-house numbers fail to field 4 teams, then these players will be required to play in-house.

4. Team Selection - All travel teams are to be selected through open tryouts, with an inclination to select members who reside in the Fallston Recreation District, or on recommendation from a Fallston in-house or travel coach, to cover situations where attending a tryout is not possible (i.e. injury, relocation from another community, etc.). All exceptions to the open tryouts must be approved by the Executive Board. Selection of the travel team will be decided upon by the age group head travel coach, and approved by the travel commissioner. If one person fills both roles, an alternative vote will be appointed by the Executive Board.

5. Playing Up - An eligible player, who wishes to play outside of his/her age group (known as "playing up"), will be considered, if the following criteria is met:

• The Board of Directors will do everything in its power to insure that all players play in the age bracket defined by their respective League Commissioner. Fallston Soccer strongly believes that all players should play in their proper age group. Occasionally a player will no longer be challenged physically or in the mental elements of the game, and that player may petition to play up. The petition process for playing up in Travel would involve the parents submitting a written request to the travel commissioner who will present it to the Board. This petition MUST be received by May 1. The Board will review the petition to determine if this player meets the above criteria whereby his/her current age group is no longer a challenge. If the petition is allowed by the Board, the impacted player must attend tryouts at both the proper age and the upper age group. A player may only play up if they are selected for the A team; they may not play up to play on the B team.

A minimum of 3 (a minimum of 2 if weather conditions do not allow for 3 due to field restrictions from other sports and time limitations) tryouts, and a maximum of 4, are to be held in order to select the teams. In order for a player to be eligible to tryout, he must complete a Fallston Recreation Council registration form signed by his parent/guardian prior to the tryout. Travel tryouts are to be conducted by the age group travel coaches and their assistants. Tryouts are to be organized and structured to include the following:

Goalkeeping drills should include save tactics, punting, and ball distribution

• individual activities such as 1 on 1

• group activities such as 2 on 1, 3 on 2, etc.

• small sided games

7. Travel Cuts - Coaches may contact the players cut by telephone or email. Notification is to be made to the parent/guardian. Under no circumstance are cuts to be made on the field in front of the other players.

8. Travel Coaches - All Travel coaches are formally interviewed by the Executive Board, prior to travel tryouts. At that time, a determination by the entire Executive Board is made if the coach is suitable for the program. Criteria used in selection of a travel coach would include, but not limited to; character, references, coaching experience, playing experience, soccer knowledge, soccer education (i.e. licensed, educational courses, etc.), and parent/guardian and travel commissioner evaluations. All head travel coaches are required to attend at least 2 of the scheduled travel tryouts. Any exceptions are to be approved by the Travel Commissioner and/or Executive Board. Additionally, coaches are expected to conduct at least one practice per week, weather permitting. Finally, all travel coaches (or a representative) should attend the monthly general meetings and volunteer to assist in soccer related projects and fund raisers.

9. Fall Season - The fall season normally begins in July. The Travel Program will consist of teams in the Under 8 through Under 14 age groups. All travel teams, ages Under 8 through Under 14, shall allow their players the option of not playing in the "in-house program" providing:

a. The player participated in the "in-house program" in the past year prior to first participating on an "in-house optional" team.

b. A player opting to play in-house must attend at least 75% of his in-house team's games. And also attend at least 75% of his practices (unless prior agreement between his in-house and travel coach). A player not meeting this requirement will be suspended from the travel team's fall season until the 75% requirement is met.

c. The in-house optional travel team must present a plan to the Executive Board, in writing, showing how the players will be able to further develop their skills as a result of their participation in an additional competitive league, and the team's intention to hold additional practices. This plan must be presented by the coach prior to his/her declaring the team to be "in-house optional".

d. The integrity of the in-house program may not be compromised as a result of the players on the "in-house optional" teams being removed from the "in-house program" No team may play as an in-house optional team if, as a result of the removal of the players from the in-house program, the team's age group will no longer be able to field at least four teams in the in-house league.

e The Executive Board reserves the right to approve or disapprove any or all of those teams applying for "in- house optional" status within an age group if, in their opinion they will not meet any of the above requirements (i.e. - one team within an age group may be approved while another is denied).

10. Travel Only Teams – Are teams that elect to not play in the in-house soccer program and play in travel leagues only. This option is available only if the following exist:

a) Travel team coach has permission from the Soccer Board. The “Travel Only Team” coach has the consent from the parents or guardians of each “Travel Only Team” players, that their son has the option of not playing in the Fallston in-house soccer program, if they chose.

player out of the Fallston Soccer Program to supplement or replace this player.

13. Funding - Travel programs will be self funded to a predetermined level within the overall Boys Soccer Program budget. The Treasurer and Travel Commissioner shall be responsible for distribution and control of the travel budget.

VI. RULES OF PLAY

A. In general, the in-house programs will follow FIFA rules.

B. Exceptions to the FIFA rules which will be allowed for the various in-house programs, shall be properly communicated and distributed to the families/players (either by copies, website or email – multiple means should be utilized).

C. For the safety of the players, all players MUST wear shin guards to be eligible to play. Jewelry (i.e. - rings, watches, etc..) may not be worn during the game. It is recommended that other safety equipment be worn, (i.e. - goalies should wear mouthpieces; anyone wearing glasses should have safety lenses). Casts on arms may be allowed if properly padded/covered and referee allows.

D. The following "HOT HEAD" rule will be in effect for all leagues.

Referees shall eject from the game and the playing area, anyone (i.e. - player, coach, parent, spectator) who commits a flagrant offense, such as verbal abuse, profanity, obscene gestures, or physical violence of any kind. Coaches shall be held responsible for the conduct of their spectators. Referees shall have the prerogative to end the game for any violation of this rule. The referee's judgment concerning this rule shall be final and non- protestable.

Any player issued a RED CARD or ejected from the game, will be suspended for the next league or tournament game. Any coach issued a red card or ejected from a game, will be suspended for the next game. All red card or ejections must be reported to the Executive Board within 48 hours after the game, by the Commissioner of that program. The Executive Board will immediately notify the appropriate Age Group or Travel Commissioner of the suspension.

If after return from the suspension, a player or coach is RED CARDED or ejected again during the same season, that player or coach will be suspended from the program for one calendar year (365 days), starting from the date of the second offense. In addition, should a coach hold a position on the current year's Soccer Board, he/she shall be removed from that position and shall remain ineligible to hold a board position for one year (365 days). Any suspended coach not holding a board position, will be ineligible to hold such a position anytime during the period of suspension. All suspensions, shall be reported to and recorded by the Secretary with the permanent records of the Council (to be included are: suspended individual's name, date of suspension, and eligibility date).

VII. PLAYER/PARENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

A. The following procedure is intended to protect the integrity of the Fallston Boy's Soccer Program by insuring that the quality of our program is as good as it can be and that the players, parents and fans have input into the program.

1. When a player, parent, or fan has a grievance or complaint, it should first be brought to the attention of the coach(es) involved.

2. If it cannot be satisfactorily resolved at that level, it should be lodged in writing with the appropriate Age Group or Travel Commissioner. After hearing both sides of the situation, the commissioner will attempt to resolve the grievance or complaint to the satisfaction of both parties.

3. If the Age Group or Travel Commissioner is not successful in resolving the grievance or complaint, the commissioner will write a summary of the grievance or complaint, along with his/her recommendation, and will submit this along with the original written grievance or complaint to the Executive Board.

4. The Executive Board will meet and discuss the complaint or grievance, with the involved parties, if it is deemed necessary, will take corrective measures that they feel are necessary, and will issue a written report describing the resolution to the situation. The Executive Board will send a letter to the player, parent, or fan thanking them for their input into the program with a copy of their final report.

B. Since it is the intent of this procedure to insure that players, parents, and fans have a mechanism to provide input into the program, the final report will be read at the next general Soccer Board meeting, with the names of those parties involved removed, so that no one is unnecessarily embarrassed.

VII. Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policy

The Fallston Boys Soccer Program is committed to a safe and fun environment for all players, volunteers and visitors, free from harassment, intimidation or bullying. “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any intentional written, verbal, or physical act, when the intentional written, verbal, or physical act:

Physically harms a player or damages the player’s property; or

Has the effect of substantially interfering with a player’s soccer training, practice, game; or

Is severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening environment; or

Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the team.

Nothing in this policy requires the affected player to possess a characteristic that is a perceived basis for the harassment, intimidation, or bullying, or other distinguishing characteristic.

Harassment, intimidation or bullying can take many forms including: slurs, rumors, jokes, innuendo’s, demeaning comments, drawing cartoons, pranks, gestures, physical attacks, threats, or other written, oral or physical actions. “Intentional acts” refers to the individual’s choice to engage in the act rather than the ultimate impact of the action(s).

This policy is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical, or political views, provided that the expression does not substantially disrupt the player’s or team environment. Many behaviors that do not rise to the level of harassment, intimidation, or bullying may still be prohibited by other Recreational Councils which teams travel too for games.

Counseling, corrective discipline, and/or referral to law enforcement will be used to change the behavior of the perpetrator and remediate the impact on the victim. This includes appropriate intervention(s), restoration of a positive climate, and support for victims and others impacted by the violation. False reports or retaliation for harassment, intimidation or bullying also constitutes violations of this policy.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

I Participation in the Soccer Game

A. In-House Program (non-referee enforceable)

1. All players on the team should play in approximately one half of the game they are present for.

2. In an effort to encourage the development of multiple soccer skills, a player should play the GoalKeeper position for only approximately one half of the game.

B. Travel Program

1. Participation of players in a travel game should be a minimum of 25% of the game they are present and eligible to play.